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Nottingham City of Literature ‘Line of Light’ Art Installation

November 2, 2016

A project between sister City of Literature, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature and Nottingham City Council is set to launch in the coming months, featuring a series of light installations and poetry projections.

Created by artist Jo Fairfax, ‘Line of Light’ will project five-word poems by writers including Byron, Lawrence and Ovid, as well as current Nottinghamshire residents, onto the underside of the Karlsruhe Friendship Bridge. Whenever a tram passes overhead, two sets of parallel lines will light up and pulse under the bridge, creating an interaction between the art and its immediate environment.

The poems projected will continue each day for a year, including work from other Cities of Literature and over 100 members of the public. The installation was funded and commissioned by Nottingham City Council to regenerate the recently pedestrianised Station Street.

“The inspiration for ‘Line of Light’ comes directly from Nottingham and the exact location was a significant influence on the overall design. I also wanted to celebrate the wonderfully rich literary position that Nottingham holds.” – Jo Fairfax, Artist

Timed to coincide with the beginning of Nottingham’s Festival of Literature (8-13 November), ‘Line of Light’ will be switched on in early November, celebrating the importance of Nottingham and literature.

Nottingham City of Literature

Nottingham became the eighteenth UNESCO City of Literature in December 2015. Located in Nottinghamshire, it is well known for the famous hero, Robin Hood, and national literary heroes Lord Byron and DH Lawrence. The city boasts a diverse literary community with wide-ranging literary organisations including DH Lawrence Heritage, Nottingham Writers’ Studio and Nottingham Playhouse and literary festival, Nottingham Festival of Words.

Nottingham Festival of Literature

Nottingham Festival of Literature (formerly Nottingham Festival of Words) is an annual literature festival in the heart of Nottingham. With a focus on international writing and inspired by both the values set out by the City of Literature and by concerns relevant to a modern, diverse city, the Festival stages conversations that explore inclusivity, displacement, alienation and ‘otherness’.